


New York, New York: I’m Coming Home

by InesStarkDowney



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Fluffy Ending, Light Angst, Post-Civil War But Pre-Infinity War Where The Avengers Get Together Again, Precious Peter Parker, Signs of PTSD, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Is About To Have A Breakdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 11:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13658262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InesStarkDowney/pseuds/InesStarkDowney
Summary: There had been another fight and if Tony came back home there would be another. More screams, more nasty words thrown at his face and Tony couldn't handle it anymore. Not from Steve. So Tony ran to where he could hide out, but then Peter had come after him and geez, how could a 17 year old kid know so much and mean so much to him?(Or how Tony is about to have a breakdown and Peter comes and saves the day, or more precisely, Tony.)





	New York, New York: I’m Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> Just a small note to add: there is an instance that Tony sounds like he hates Steve and holds everything that happened in Civil War against him, but he is simply angry, stressed and on the verge of a breakdown. No Steve hate here.

Tony stood on top of a building overlooking New York City. The sun was setting and its rays of sunshine, in an orange glow, shined against the almost glass like skyscrapers. In that moment, everything settled down inside of Tony, even though the city was in turmoil.

Kids were getting home laughing with their friends or holding their parents hands. Grown ups were stuck in traffic, waiting to open their front door and either be greeted by their other half or by a nice glass of wine. Those who were yet to be fully grown raced down their front steps to greet their friends and walk into a night of dancing, drinking, kissing.

Yet, as Tony stood there, with no rush of ever going home that night, Tony felt at peace. For a long second, it was about the rest of the world and their lives and not about the anxiety, the need to be good enough and the next fight that always came around.

Tony’s next fight was waiting patiently, with two sharp blue eyes, which had gone cold at the sight of Tony.

Tony sighed and closed his eyes, tightening his hold on the helmet, just for a few seconds.

Cars honked. People talked. Kids laughed. Two feet settled down behind him in a smooth landing.

Tony opened his eyes and next to him Peter walked up, suit on, mask off, trying to fix his hair, looking out to the city before looking at him.

“Taking a break from saving the world?”, Peter asked, hoping to sound light at the sight of Tony’s tired face.

“Something like that… Shouldn’t you already be home, out of the suit? I’m sure May has dinner waiting for you.”

“Yeah, I told her I’d be slightly late.” Tony looked at Peter with arched eyebrows. He knew that kid too long to understand that he was worried about Tony, more often than not. And who ever guessed that a 17 year old kid would worry over him?

Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes. He knew Peter would want him to talk. For once, someone listened. But that didn’t mean Tony could do it that easily.

“I’m fine, kid.”   

“Are you sure? I saw you fight with Cap during the mission and then you flew here once it was done. When it comes to Cap, things never seem-”

“Okay? Yeah, it’s what happens after he destroys our team, lies to my face for years, leaves me in the cold and after I do everything to put The Avengers back together, he still looks at me like I’m a big mistake!”

Tony breathed out and cursed internally. Peter had always been a constant support, a light at the end of the tunnel, the proof that a better future could exist. But he was just a kid, still overwhelmed on some degree with everything that being Spider-Man and an Avenger meant. Then Tony laid these things on him and Peter didn’t deserve it.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I wish things were easier.”

“Yeah… So do I, kid. But things will never be easy with Steve.”

“You never know. There was something bad enough that broke you apart. There might be a need to bring you back together, like the old times. You and Cap… You’re the Avengers, the core of the Avengers. The world will always need you and, in the end, you need each other.”

Tony couldn’t look at Peter in the eyes. There would be something that ultimately would have to bring them back together. Tony felt it when he went through that wormhole and it stuck to his skin like a disease, even after he fell out and kept going. It was this claw around his heart, tightening as time passed by because it was coming. Whatever it was out there, it was coming for them, looking for retribution. Tony knew it would be the end, the end of them all if they didn’t listen and fought together to stop it.

Tony looked once again over the city he came to call home, the city he loved, the city he’d die for again, if necessary. It was all about them, those people out there. And it was about Peter and the brighter future Tony knew he’d make.

Visions of a dying Peter haunted his head and Tony had to close his eyes tight and try to shake it away. It was too much. It couldn’t happen, not Pe-

“Tony? Tony!”

Tony woke up to the city noise and Peter’s voice. He was breathless, this stinging feeling all over his chest, and he almost pressed his hand against the suit’s arc reactor like he used to, just to make sure everything was okay. Instead, he looked at Peter, a very much alive and well Peter and Tony breathed in relief.

“Y-Yes, kid?”

“You spaced out. Completely. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that. I’m just tired. You know how it is with old age.”

Tony managed half a smile, but Peter still looked at him hesitant, worried over his mentor. Till his eyes sparkled with an idea and he smiled excitedly. If old Jarvis was still around, he’d say how much Peter looked like a young Tony, excited about everything around him, not corrupted enough.

“Hey, do you wanna come over for dinner? Knowing aunt May she probably made enough food for us.”

Surprise wasn’t what Tony felt at the moment, just… slight confusion. He really didn’t know what to say and what to think of Peter’s proposition of a family dinner because that’s what it was. That’s what Tony felt it was. Homemade food with people he cared about. The last time Tony was invited to such dinner was back in MIT, when a young and wild Rhodey smiled at him from ear to ear, excited at the thought of having Tony over for one night, to meet his parents.

A warm feeling spread over Tony’s chest together with the fond memory. Looking back at Peter, he looked exactly like Rhodey and Tony wondered how lucky he could be to witness this a second time around with a different person.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to intru-”

“Yeah! That way you can assure aunt May I behave and that I follow every order not to get hurt, and-”

Peter kept rambling, trying to convince Tony of it. But Tony was already smiling, long convinced to go back home with Peter to have a nice family dinner for the first time in years.

“Okay, Peter.”, Tony interrupted, leaving Peter looking at him, waiting for an answer, “I’ll have dinner with you and aunt May.”

“Really?! Yes! It’s gonna be awesome! Maybe you can come more times, even when we go out! There’s this nice Asian restaurant we usually go to, and it’s really weird but amazing, because I think they worship Thor and Asgardians in general. Is that weird? I feel like that’s weird, especially since I know Thor in person, and I feel like you shouldn’t know God or Gods in person, right?”

Peter didn’t stop talking, moving from topic to topic faster than Tony could realize, but never minding it one bit. All Tony could do was smile while he put his helmet on again and followed Peter through the New York skyline, the traffic and the kids yelling “Look! It’s Iron Man and Spider-Man!”.


End file.
